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Recognition Day April 2019

Writers and Readers’ Room

Poetry Parlour

Just An Old Sea DogRead and rate this story.

See him trudging up the gangway in his T-shirt and his jeans,Vacation over, back to work after a whileOnce he had a future when he was in his teens,But he chucked it like it was going out of styleHe keeps right on cursing for the better or the worseSearching for a peace he’s never foundNever knowing how much money is lying in his purseOr when again he’ll be homeward bound

He’s a sailor, he’s a boozerHe’s a gambler, he’s a loserHe’s a poet, a prophet and a problem when he’s drunkHe’s a real abominationOn the road to self-destructionTrying to stay afloat when he knows he’s sunk…

He talks of the Titanic, Erika and Exxon ValdezNobody listens to him any moreHe talks of wine, women, and the good old daysOf the sea songs he once sang ashoreHis shipmates tolerate him like they would an old drunkHe sits alone often, out of sightCannot sleep much, often needs a sedativeTo help him make it through the night

He’s a shipmate, he’s a preacherHe’s a misfit, he’s a teacherHe’s a loner, a smoker and a problem when he’s drunkHe’s riddled with addictionHis life’s an aberrationTrying to stay afloat when he knows he’s sunk…

He’s “been there, done that” in bedrooms and barsHe’s alive and kicking even todayRunning from his demons and cursing all his starsFor losing all he loved along the wayHe keeps right on bitching for the better or the worseBut all he ever gets is older and unsoundFrom the rocking of the cradle to the rolling of the hearseThe flying high was worth the falling down…

He’s a lover, he’s a fatherHe’s a husband, he’s a brotherJust an old sea dog, a rambler and a problem when he’s drunkHe’s a living contradictiona little truth, a little fictionTrying to stay afloat when he knows he’s sunk…

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Published by Beetashok Chatterjee

Beetashok Chatterjee is a seaman by profession. This old sea dog is also a wannabe poet/writer, avid reader, music lover, movie buff, cricket enthusiast and a restless spirit.
View all posts by Beetashok Chatterjee